Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-12253

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a statement on the role of Professor Stephen Tierney as an independent expert adviser as announced in the news release of 5 July 2012, Scottish Government appoint referendum expert.

Copies of correspondence between ministers, officials and Professor Stephen Tierney, regarding Professor Tierney’s appointment as an independent expert adviser on the Scottish independence referendum, have been lodged in SPICe, along with a copy of his paper, entitled “The Multi-option Referendum: international guidelines, international practice and practical issues”. (Bib numbers. 54712 and 54713).

Professor Tierney was appointed as the Government’s adviser in May 2012 to advise on issues arising from the consultation responses. He had a number of discussions with Scottish Government officials, and also met with the First Minister during the 2012 summer recess. The First Minister subsequently wrote to Professor Tierney to ask for his advice (based on international experience) on the practicalities of holding a two question referendum. However, following the signing of the Edinburgh Agreement on 15 October 2012, the issue of a two question referendum did not require further consideration.

Scottish Government officials met again with Professor Tierney in Autumn 2012, when he noted that the Government’s main proposals for running the referendum had received strong support from respondents (including key electoral stakeholders) and that there was, therefore, little on which he could offer additional advice.

Professor Tierney wrote to the First Minister on 21 January 2013 to tender his resignation as an independent expert adviser, as he was also being considered for an advisory role for the Referendum (Scotland) Bill Committee.

Question reference: S4W-12254

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the advice of Professor Stephen Tierney in his role as independent expert adviser on the referendum.

Question reference: S4F-01166

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2013

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4W-12260

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings there have been between ministers or officials and members of the Independent Budget Review since the publication of Independent Budget Review: The Report of Scotland's Independent Budget Review Panel.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12256 on 28 January 2013, the Independent Budget Review (IBR) report sets out a menu of options for delivering public services within a significantly constrained public expenditure environment and the Government consulted widely on the IBR’s recommendations.

Against that background, Scottish Ministers and officials discussed the Independent Budget Review report with members of the panel at the time of its publication in 2010. The Independent Budget Review panel then stood down.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-12256

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government which of the recommendations from chapter (a) 2, (b) 3, (c) 4 and (d) 5 of Independent Budget Review: The Report of Scotland's Independent Budget Review Panel have been implemented.

The Independent Budget Review (IBR) report sets out a menu of options for delivering public services within a significantly constrained public expenditure environment. Following the publication of the report, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth led a programme of consultation meetings across Scotland. Discussions also took place with key stakeholders including Community Planning Partnerships and business organisations and the views of the general public were sought at open meetings and through a web-based consultation.

On the back of this engagement, Ministers have driven forward a programme of reform incorporating many of the recommendations of the IBR and has delivered balanced Scottish Budgets in each of the three years since it was published, through a balanced approach of rigorous efficiency, pay restraint, reform of public services and an innovative approach to infrastructure investment.

Question reference: S4F-01141

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2013

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4W-12111

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare has been asked to consider which elements of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 should be reversed.

Question reference: S4W-12113

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare will consider the tax credits system.

Question reference: S4W-12101

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many people it has invited to join the Expert Working Group on Welfare and what proportion (a) was women and (b) has an income in the lower five deciles of Scottish incomes.

Question reference: S4W-12102

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to appointing (a) women and (b) people with incomes in the lower five deciles of Scottish incomes to the Expert Working Group on Welfare.